Widening cracks: Ticket allocation fuels internal dissent in Swat

Members of different parties resign after not being chosen as candidates.

MINGORA:

Disagreement over allocation of party tickets in Swat is fuelling internal dissent among major political parties.

PML-N

After emerging as the strongest political party in Swat and Shangla, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was soon entangled in divergence over party tickets.

Member of a well-reputed royal family, Shahzada Sheryar Amir Zeb was considered a strong candidate of PML-N for PK-81. However, Habib Ali Shah was preferred for the seat by PML-N’s parliamentary cabinet.

“This is a strange and shocking move by the PML-N as the royal family has a huge vote bank in the constituency. His exclusion from the candidature list will harm the party’s position,” political observer Zarif Iqbal told The Express Tribune.

In retaliation, Shahzada Amir Zeb along with a large number of workers resigned from PML-N and decided to contest the elections as independent candidates.



“The decision of awarding the party ticket to Habib Ali Shah has caused restlessness among party workers and many of them have decided to resign,” Shahzada Amir Zeb said while addressing a press conference at his residence in Saidu Sharif, earlier in the week.

“It is beyond comprehension that our sacrifices for the party were ignored,” he said while talking about his brother Asfandiyar Amir Zeb, who lost his life during the party’s campaign in 2008. He claimed PML-N has secured a position in Swat due to the royal family’s sacrifices.

PPP

Differences among party workers erupted in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) when district president Salimur Rehman, said to be the strongest candidate for NA-30, was not considered.

“He is the son of former federal minister (late) Dr Mahboobur Rehman, who was close to Zulfiqar Ali Buhtto. Ignoring him and giving the ticket to another person is really shocking,” said Iqbal Zada, a senior party worker.

Salimur Rehman, who has remained a district nazim, also resigned from PPP along with many other workers.

PTI

In Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), internal conflicts arose when the most active party worker, Saeed Khan, was not considered in PK-83. Saeed is the divisional vice president of the party as well.

Revolting against the decision of the party’s parliamentary board, many party workers protested and asked the party’s leadership to reconsider.

“At first, my name topped the candidature list sent by the board earlier. However, Pervez Khattak on behalf of Azam Swati decided to nominate Azmat Ali as a contester for the constituency,” said Saeed, claiming the decision violates ideological workers’ rights.

He added PK-83 is considered the stronghold of PTI, but the recent decision has created dissent. “If the ticket was given to a veteran party leader, we would have all run the election campaign for him. The chosen candidate has not even formed a party organisation in his area.”

ANP

Awami National Party faces a similar situation. Many old party workers, who were in the queue for party tickets, resigned in protest after tickets of all the constituencies were once again issued to the same candidates as before.

ANP district vice president Shah Dawran, active party elder Haji Raza Khan, relative of Wajid Ali Khan, Nisar Khan and Haji Fazal Maula are among those who have left the party.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2013.